Fuel cells are devices that convert chemical energy stored in a fuel, such as a hydrocarbon fuel, into electrical energy by means of an electrical reaction. Generally, a fuel cell has an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte layer that together drive chemical reactions that produce electricity. Exhaust, which may comprise a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, is produced as a byproduct from the anode of the fuel cell. The anode exhaust contains useful byproduct gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can be exported as syngas or hydrogen for other uses, such as fuel for the fuel cell or feed for other chemical reactions. For hydrogen production, the bulk of the carbon monoxide in the anode exhaust may be converted to hydrogen via a water gas shift reaction upstream of a carbon dioxide removal system. When the anode exhaust is not shifted, the anode exhaust gas of an MCFC (molten carbonate fuel cell) has a 2/1 H2/CO ratio, which is desirable for chemicals or fuels synthesis. However, to prepare the anode exhaust to be suitable for such uses, the bulk of the carbon dioxide present in the anode exhaust must be removed.